II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5114 

To amend the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Establishment Act to expand the boundary of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in the State of Vermont, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 

Mr. WELCH (for himself and Mr. SANDERS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical 

Park Establishment Act to expand the boundary of the 

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in 

the State of Vermont, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Marsh-Billings-Rocke5 feller National Historical Park Establishment Act Amend6 ments Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. BOUNDARY EXPANSION. 

2 Section 3 of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National 

3 Historical Park Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 410vv–1) 

4 is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 

5 following: 

6 ‘‘(b) BOUNDARIES; MAP.— 

7 ‘‘(1) BOUNDARIES.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The boundaries of the 

9 park shall be as generally depicted on the map 

10 entitled ‘Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National 

11 Historical Park, Proposed Boundary Revision’, 

12 numbered 456/190,048, and dated August 

13 2023. 

14 ‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The park shall include 

15 the following: 

16 ‘‘(i) A historic zone, including— 

17 ‘‘(I) the Marsh-Billings-Rocke18 feller Mansion; 

19 ‘‘(II) surrounding buildings; and 

20 ‘‘(III) a portion of the area 

21 known as ‘Mt. Tom’. 

22 ‘‘(ii) A protection zone, including the 

23 area occupied by the Billings Farm and 

24 Museum. 

25 ‘‘(iii) The King Farm, which shall be 

26 divided between the historic zone described 


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1 in clause (i) and the protection zone de2 scribed in clause (ii), as determined by the 

3 Secretary to be appropriate. 

4 ‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map de5 scribed in paragraph (1)(A) shall be on file and 

6 available for public inspection in the appropriate of7 fices of the National Park Service.’’. 

8 SEC. 3. ACQUISITION OF LAND. 

9 Section 4 of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National 

10 Historical Park Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 410vv–2) 

11 is amended— 

12 (1) in subsection (b)— 

13 (A) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and 

14 inserting the following: 

15 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may acquire 

16 land or an interest in land within the boundary of 

17 the park by— 

18 ‘‘(A) donation; 

19 ‘‘(B) purchase from a willing seller with 

20 donated or appropriated funds; 

21 ‘‘(C) transfer from a Federal agency; or 

22 ‘‘(D) exchange. 

23 ‘‘(2) KING FARM.—Acquisition by the Secretary 

24 of the land described in section 3(b)(1)(B)(iii) shall 

25 include— 


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1 ‘‘(A) a right of access from the land ac2 quired to the park; and 

3 ‘‘(B) a right of access to the land acquired 

4 from the park.’’; and 

5 (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘(3) The 

6 Secretary’’ and inserting the following: 

7 ‘‘(3) COMMERCIAL OPERATION.—The Sec8 retary’’; and 

9 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(e) KING FARM.—On acquisition by the Secretary 

11 of the land described in section 3(b)(1)(B)(iii), the ac12 quired land may be used for— 

13 ‘‘(1) agricultural and forestry purposes, includ14 ing the growing and harvesting of crops and trees, 

15 animal husbandry, and other agricultural operations 

16 customary in the State of Vermont; 

17 ‘‘(2) conservation purposes in a manner that 

18 preserves the historic character of a working farm 

19 and forest; and 

20 ‘‘(3) educational purposes relating to agri21 culture, forestry, and conservation activities, includ22 ing the study of natural history.’’. 

23 SEC. 4. SCENIC ZONE. 

24 Section 5(a) of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Na25 tional Historical Park Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 


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1 410vv–3(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘ ‘Marsh-Billings2 Rockefeller National Historical Park Scenic Zone Map’ 

3 and dated November 19, 1991’’ and inserting ‘‘ ‘Marsh4 Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Proposed 

5 Boundary Revision’, numbered 456/190,048, and dated 

6 August 2023’’. 

7 SEC. 5. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STEWARDSHIP INSTI8 TUTE. 

9 The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical 

10 Park Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 410vv et seq.) is 

11 amended— 

12 (1) by redesignating sections 6 through 10 as 

13 sections 7 through 11, respectively; and 

14 (2) by inserting after section 5 the following: 

15 ‘‘SEC. 6. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STEWARDSHIP INSTI16 TUTE. 

17 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established at the park 

18 the National Park Service Stewardship Institute (referred 

19 to in this Act as the ‘Institute’). 

20 ‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Institute 

21 are— 

22 ‘‘(1) to highlight and encourage the advance23 ment of stewardship practices through workshops, 

24 public programs, learning opportunities, and similar 

25 programming; 


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1 ‘‘(2) to create opportunities within the National 

2 Park Service to identify and share innovation 

3 through research, evaluation, and dialogue; and 

4 ‘‘(3) to identify and exchange best practices and 

5 enhance leadership capacity, partnership develop6 ment, and community engagement in the fields of 

7 conservation and resource stewardship. 

8 ‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATION.—The Institute shall be man9 aged as a program of the park.’’. 

Æ 


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